Promoter: Pacific Presentations
Reported audience: 8,000
Other act: James Gang
Deuce
Strutter
Got To Choose
Hotter Than Hell
Firehouse
She
Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
C'mon And Love Me
Rock Bottom
Nothin' To Lose
100,000 Years
Peter Criss Drum Solo
Black Diamond
Cold Gin
Rock And Roll All Nite
Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
Notes:
- Some suggest Rush also played this show, though reviews indicate that only James Gang opened.
- A full headlining set. This is the first known recording with the band's classic "you wanted the best" intro by JR Smalling.
- The show circulates as a generally good AUD recording direct from the taper's master.
- From a local review: "Glitter rock may be starting to tarnish around the edges, but it's still a driving force in rock concerts, as Kiss proved in its weekend appearance at the Arena. Kiss also proved that a group can take something from everyone and make it work. The four-member hard rock group used David Bowie's unisex jump suits, the Who's clouds of dry ice smoke, white-face makeup from mime and drummer Pete Criss even borrowed a little from Ringo and threw his drumsticks into the crowd. Behind all the showmanship lies a band that is still trying hard to work together and hasn't quite made it. Lead guitarist Ace Frehley spun off some solid solos and had clear lines during many numbers, such as "You've Got to Choose," and "Hotter than Hell."
Frehley was let down by the rest of the group's erratic performance. Vocalist Paul Stanley would sound good and then bad; drummer Criss was pounding hard but not always effectively. Gene Simmons, the bass player, put on a good show although he could have paid more attention to his guitar. The show, however, is what 8,000 standing, cheering, clapping people came to see Saturday night. Kiss' style was at its peak during the deafening crescendo near the end of "Hotter Than Hell." Smoke came billowing over the stage, colored spotlights swept the audience, Simmons flicked his outrageous lizard-like tongue, police lights blinked and sirens wailed and Stanley scattered glitter over the audience. Simmons, it should be noted, followed along with the group's new image of pursuing a serious rock music style, and didn't spit up chicken blood.
As with Bowie, many of the audience came dressed in black, silver-studded clothes with white-face make-up, like the group they came to see. The James Gang, formerly headliners themselves, preceded Kiss who couldn't have had a better warmup act. The James Gang plays good, honest hard rock with no frills. "Walk Away," the group's sole monster single, brought in a tight mesh of great bass work, clear lead guitar line, audible vocals and a foundation beat. The guitars especially were effective no slurring even during the louder solos when most groups get pretty sloppy. . Both James Gang and Kiss would do all right by varying their unrelenting approach to music. Even Led Zeppelin does a slow track to break things up. But as one glitter rock devotee' said: "Ah, it's all been done before" (Bob Gore, LB Independent, 6/2/75).
